


Autumn Leaves

by R0bitaReads



Category: Dororo (Manga), Dororo - Fandom, Tezuka Osamu - Fandom
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward reunions, Canon Disabled Character, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Gen, Headcanon, Platonic Relationships, References to Events Prior to Story, Shady Parents, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29106528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R0bitaReads/pseuds/R0bitaReads
Summary: Hyakkimaru, Dororo, and Tahomaru encounter a strange but kind girl named Oyone who leads them into her hometown.On their way to town, Hyakkimaru can't help but notice something is off.A story about past friendships, awkward reunions, and (hopefully) making amends with the past and present.
Relationships: Dororo & Tahomaru (Dororo), Hyakkimaru & Oyone (Dororo), Hyakkimaru & Tahomaru (Dororo), Tahomaru & Oyone (Dororo)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 3





	1. Autumn Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyakkimaru, Dororo, and Tahomaru encounter a strange but kind girl named Oyone who leads them into her hometown.  
> On their way to town, Hyakkimaru can't help but notice something is off.  
> A story about past friendships, awkward reunions, and (hopefully) making amends with the past and present.

The afternoon was late. Even though the sun’s light was touching everything, the air had become cold enough to bite. The harvest season was almost over and all the villagers and farmers were walking home. Everyone’s energy was spent along with the sun.

A girl was leading three boys down the dirt road. Two older boys, Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru, walked behind while Dororo, the younger scrappy one, walked alongside the girl.

As the two leads were trotting along, the two boys were quiet.

Hyakkimaru observed her with a furrowed brow. There was a feeling he couldn’t shake off about her. He didn’t distrust her, but he couldn’t shake off this creeping suspicion. He hated this feeling.

Tahomaru, for once, had less aggression on his face. He looked at the girl for a long while, then his eyes lowered to the space of road between them. He then directed his vision towards the horizon where the sun was setting. Everything in his sight was becoming a warm color, even the clouds. The sun was kissing him but he felt cold. 

He turned to his elder brother.

“You think we’ll find something of interest if we follow her?” Tahomaru asked with a worried look.

Without a turn of his head and not missing a beat Hyakkimaru made a blunt “Yeah”. It was then that he noticed Tahomaru’s expression of worry too late. That wasn’t the answer he was hoping for. “Can’t really ignore it,” he added apologetically.

Tahomaru merely hummed back in reply, sounding defeated and looking back at the horizon. Hyakkimaru stared at him puzzled. Then looked at the girl again.

Dororo studied the girl beside him, trying his best to glare at her and failing.

This girl they just ran into, as far as Dororo knew, was not like any of the other ladies they had met. She was roughly the same age as Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru. Most girls her age were quiet and self-conscious of almost every step and gesture they made, acting older for their age. This was especially common since the wars had escalated. Thinking about it made him both annoyed and sad. Dororo found these behaviors to be incredibly bothersome.

He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or bewildered, considering she tried to introduce herself wearing a yokai mask and nearly scaring Dororo into a panicked frenzy. To add insult to injury, Hyakkimaru couldn’t help but tease Dororo for trying to “act cool”. At least Tahomaru was speechless after Dororo caught her, as far as Dororo could tell. But the damage to his reputation was already done. He shook his head furiously and continued to observe this new character.

Her eyes shied away from everyone’s faces and instead were directed to the ground, watching for the mounds, pebbles, and cracks. As she skipped and trotted over tiny obstacles, she hummed. If you listened carefully, you would notice that she wasn’t humming a song, for the most part. Almost as if she was talking with her mouth shut, but Dororo couldn’t make out the words. As she hummed, her arms swayed back and forth, and sometimes her hands stroke against the tallgrass or the cloth of her skirt. The ends of her kimono were worn out from being snagged and torn by shrubbery and tall grass. She had dirt and sweat on her face, and her long black hair was covered with autumn leaves. She either didn’t notice or she didn’t care. She was shy, but she did not have any shame.

Dororo was surprised to find all this refreshing. By the time the group reached the town, he decided that she was alright.

* * *

Tahomaru had mentioned beforehand that the town they were heading to was originally a rice-farming village. Because of the abundant land, several merchant families had also made their homes and businesses there, making it popular for traveling merchants and visitors. Needless to say, this got Dororo excited much to Hyakkimaru’s annoyance. Hyakkimaru’s main interest, as always, was seeing if there were any demons lurking around. Tahomaru just hoped there wouldn’t be any trouble at all.

Hyakkimaru and Dororo looked around. The town looked nice at first, most of the houses weren’t too shabby. Dororo quickly spotted a slow-paced but well-dressed civilian and darted. Just as the other two boys were about to call him back, Dororo was already by the unsuspecting merchant. Then he darted straight back. Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru looked at him in confusion and concern. Dororo immediately clutched on to Hyakkimaru’s side with a serious look on his face.

“What happened?” Hyakkimaru asked.

“He didn’t look good,” Dororo said, frustrated and distraught.

Before they could ask more, the girl spoke up. “Everybody’s hungry”.

Hyakkimaru looked up in surprise, realizing the girl hadn’t spoken up until now. As soon as she had realized that she was the center of attention, she shot her head down. Tahomaru then asked, “You mean there isn’t any food for the townsfolk?”

It then dawned on Hyakkimaru why Dororo was upset. He looked at the man Dororo had run into. His face looked weathered and his eyes were starting to look sunken. That man was starving and it must have brought back bad memories. He looked around again. Everyone was either tired, skinny, or both. Hyakkimaru’s attention then turned to the girl. He looked at her arms and legs, and then her face. She didn’t look starving at first until he noticed how out sweaty and out of breath she was from the walk. Walking behind her, he never noticed how tired she was. He felt ashamed. Those suspicions he had earlier turned out to be correct and that made him angry.

The girl spoke again. “The rice keeps getting taken,”

“By who?” Hyakkimaru asked, assertively.

She didn’t respond. Hyakkimaru realized his tone had cut her off. Her eyes nervously darted at Tahomaru for a moment. Tahomaru froze.

Her eyes then lowered to the sword at his hip, then darted away. She made an upsetting sound behind pressed lips as she gripped her kimono. He gave a knowing look to Hyakkimaru and took a deep breath.

“Hey, Oyone? Can you show us where home is?”

Her head shot up, looking directly at the boy who said her name.

Feeling a tinge, Tahomaru started rubbing the back of his back neck, “Um...please?”, he added awkwardly.

She started at Tahomaru, studying his face looking puzzled. Then she looked at Dororo clutching at Hyakkimaru’s side, he looked back. Then she looked at Hyakkimaru last, not knowing what to make of him.

She then quickly turned her attention to Tahomaru.

In a rapid breath, she stated “That way!” while pointing down the road. Hyakkimaru noticed the houses in that direction were the more sturdy and affluent compared to the homes the farmers resided in. “She was a merchant’s daughter?”, he thought to himself.

Oyone’s eyes lit up for a moment. She quickly started up the town’s road. This gave Dororo a sudden jolt, causing him to run after her and for her to wait. Tahomaru paced quickly after them with Hyakkimaru following closely behind him.

As Hyakkimaru walked behind his brother, a thought possessed him.

_ Not once did Oyone ever tell them her name. _

Hyakkimaru didn’t say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first submission to Ao3. I hope this first chapter has been good for everyone who took an interest in reading through it.  
> This fanfic started off based on a headcanon I had made a while back for the original Dororo manga series. Originally, I didn't intend on starting a series but ended up with more and more chapters as I had continued. I'd like to see how far I can go and I hope the readers enjoy it.
> 
> On an additional note, I'd like to thank some of my mutuals from Discord, with who I have been exchanging many ideas and stories before coming here.  
> -R0bita


	2. A Small Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A childhood friendship between the two loneliest kids in town.  
> She's a kid. He's a kid. Kids gotta look after each other when nobody else does.

“It’s just so surprising to me! Especially, considering how normal she looks.”

“ _ Normal? _ What do you mean?”

“Well... she  _ looks _ healthy. She doesn't look the  _ type _ , you know?”

“She is cute, I give her that. At the very least that’s one thing she’ll have going for her.”

The small girl says nothing. A smaller child grabs her hand.

“Oyone, let’s go. You don’t gotta stay here for this.”

“They’re not trying to be mean,” she mutters as quietly as she can.

“Well, they are!”

The two little runaways trotted away from the chatter and the calls of the gossipy ladies. They made their way down the road until there was nobody else in sight. They found themselves in the thoroughfare, caught between the sight of the buildings and the tall plain grass. This was far enough. With that, the small child turns his back at the town, stands high on his toes, takes a deep inhale through his nostrils with his head tilted up, and makes a loud huff.

“Why do they act like such jerks around you? I don't get it!” He rants, pacing and stamping his feet through the dirt, kicking it up with each lift of his legs.

“Please, don't get mad! It's fine,” she pleads.

Oyone tries her best to sound alright, but the weight of all the pressure from before was too overwhelming for her small body. Her eyes were glazed and her cheeks still had some redness. Her nose sniffed with every heavy breath she made.

Seeing this state made the boy even anger.

“Not it is not! You should be angry! If it makes you feel bad when they talk like that then you should tell them to stop it!” he stomped this foot harder and harder.

Oyone flinches. She looks at the boy in silence. Her arms shake while strangling the cloth of her kimono. Her head lowers as her eyes become fixed to the ground with a hopeless expression.

“They dun like it.”

A feeling of helplessness pours over the boy at the sound of her voice. He stares back, still huffing from his previous tantrum.

“I got mad plenty times. I told everyone to stop being mean to me. A lot! But everyone always got mad. They don't like it when I say no. And I get scolded. Always.”

“I- I don't get it.”

That wasn’t entirely true. He understood well enough what she meant. He just simply didn’t like the fact that he understood and didn’t want it to be true.

“Normal folk don't like it when dumb people tell them what to do. So I won’t.”

Oyone remained silent. She was like a ghost, drained, and listless. Defeated. The boy could not stand the sight of it, this loss. He didn’t want to accept defeat, but what could he do? All he could do was look at her and think.

For the short time the boy had been in the small town, Oyone was the only person that came to his mind. Her father, the magnate, offered to keep an eye on the boy. He was kind, but only out of obligation. It was the same for most of the other adults who knew who the boy was. Many of the villagers were also welcoming to the newcomer. But after word got out that he was a “special guest of the magnate”, they kept their distance and shied their children away. They didn’t want to risk trouble. The games became less fun, less frequent, with each absent playmate. In the end, he was abandoned, again. All he could do then was wander around to pass the time before he was brought back to the magnate’s home. There was nobody left, except for Oyone.

Oyone wasn’t very present at first. She was only around whenever her father was around or whenever he permitted it, and even then it was near impossible to speak to her. During games, she either kept a distance or was simply not there. She either never participated or was never invited. It was a complete coincidence that they had even started interacting. They had simply crossed paths, and that was all it took. He was alone, bored, and wanted to know what she was doing by a puddle of water, and she simply replied in hushed excitement, “They’re tadpoles!”. After that, Oyone was everywhere in his memory. She was impossible to shake off and he yielded. He had never known anyone so shamelessly alive as her and came to admire that trait. She was everything that was different from home - what he wished he could be there. Oyone made the boy feel welcome and normal and he was grateful for it.

He snapped back to reality and spoke.

“But you are normal,” he said.

She makes a confused sound behind pressed lips.

“And smart!” his face turns puffy and red, “It’s people who act like jerks for no good reason who are dumb! And you're the nicest person here!”

Oyone’s eyes blinked as she looked up, taken aback by what she’s just heard.

“You're the only real nice person I know! And my best friend!” he declares with a cracked and squeaky voice, pointing at her.

She came back to life with a soft dry giggle. A small victory. Thank goodness.

Just then his face was blushing red again, and he crouches to the ground.

“Tahomaru!” Oyone calls in concern, running to her friend.

“Why are you crying?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was short and sweet but a little painful too.  
> Writing Tahomaru as a lonely younger kid kind of made it feel like I was writing about Dororo sometimes.  
> -R0bita


	3. Woodgrain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tahomaru has a bit of explaining to do.  
> But more importantly, the boys need to discuss some other issues regarding their hunt for the next demon, among other complications.

Within the residence of the donburi magnate, Dororo paces back and forth within the private room. Large empty bowls rattle on the floor with each firm step. Hyakkimaru sits at one end of the room with his arms crossed within his sleeves and his back against the wall. He takes glances at both Dororo and Tahomaru. Tahomaru sits quietly across from him with his hands clutching to his knee. His open eye remains focused on the patterns of the wooden floor peeking from behind the tatami mat. Feint signs of irritation and embarrassment begin to appear on his face.

Dororo's feet finally stop as he faces Tahomaru.

"So, that girl," he points with one hand. He begins to align the facts in his mind. "and…  _ you _ ?" He points with both hands directly at Tahomaru with a bewildered look.

"Whatever you're thinking, that's not it," Tahomaru asserts.

"Whatever it is, it’s probably juicy."

"It  _ really _ isn't."

"Dororo. Quit it." Hyakkimaru interjects.

Dororo crosses his arms with a pout as he makes his way to Hyakkimaru's side of the room. Impatiently, he lets out a sigh.

"Okay," Dororo starts, "What I don't get is how come neither of you said anything? It's really weird considering we walked a pretty long way from where we first saw her. Pretty rude of the both of you!"

"Dororo." Hyakkimaru growls.

Dororo squints back at Hyakkimaru. His arms open up, gesturing his annoyance.

Hyakkimaru looks to Tahomaru, waiting for him to respond. It wasn’t as if Hyakkimaru took interest in the topic or anything, but for Tahomaru to act so quiet and reserved felt out of place, to say the least. Even more so, Tahomaru’s history with the town, and the magnate’s family, felt like something more than just a coincidence. He continues to observe him. Tahomaru looks as though he wants to say something - a lot of things, but his gaze remains fixed on the floor.

Hyakkimaru decides to usher in the discussion.

"I don't know what her deal was,” said Hyakkimaru, “but her old man definitely recognized you." Hyakkimaru points out as he reaches for one of the bowls off the floor.

Dororo spontaneously laughs, almost squealing. "Oh yeah! He looked at you like he saw a ghost or something! I almost could've sworn he was gonna kick us out till he started acting all servile." He begins to mimic the magnate. "Oh goodness! If it isn't the young sir! My, how tall you’ve grown!" He shakes his legs as he bows, mocking the old man's feeble gestures.

Hyakkimaru lets out a tired sigh, rubbing his brows.

Tahomaru makes a low chuckle with a faint smirk.

"Doubtful he would ever forget such an esteemed guest and not invite him in his humble home." He scoffed with a low and taunting voice, dripping with conceit.

Tahomaru jolted at the realization of what he said; not at his words, but the way he said it. He had let his “past self” peek out for a moment. He peers at the other boys’ faces. They simply stare back, but they were silent. A tinge of shame crept onto Tahomaru's back, causing him to cringe. He lowers his head and brings his gaze back to the floor again.

"It's been a long time since I've been here," Tahomaru sighs. “If Oyone does remember me, I doubt she would want to." Tahomaru adjusts himself, crossing his legs as he places a tightening grip on his knees. “Maybe she shouldn’t..."

"What do you mean? You two get into a fight?" Dororo asks.

Tahomaru takes a sharp inhale through his nose. As he exhaled, his breath shook with a silent "No".

Dororo wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to ask more questions about Oyone, the magnate, the village, and Tahomaru. He still couldn't believe that Tahomaru even had a connection with anyone from beyond where Daigo and the Banmon stood. Then again, Hyakkimaru, of all people, turned out to be his older brother. That and that wasn't even the end of it. Kagemitsu Daigo, a samurai lord - the man who sold Hyakkimaru out to demons, was their father. The more he thought about it, the hotter his body became. How infuriating.

Dororo looks to Hyakkimaru. Hyakkimaru says nothing.

"Listen," said Tahomaru. His voice deepened with a serious look on his face.

Dororo feels a jolt. For a moment, Tahomaru sounded like Hyakkimaru.

"There's a good chance that our-" He tries to keep his composure. "Daigo may be involved with what's happening here".

Hyakkimaru's eyes became sharp. Dororo could feel the tension in the room becoming heavier.

"Meaning there might be demons not far from here, "Hyakkimaru added.

Tahomaru winced. "It is possible" he answered.

"It also means that if we stay here too long, he won't be far behind. The rice taxes are likely his doing as well. Tahomaru dug his nails into his legs as he said this.

There was a long pause to this. Dororo couldn't think of anything to say. Demons And Daigo. The thought of being caught between both of those didn't sit well with him.

Hyakkimaru realized why Tahomaru was so nervous. It wasn’t just about the girl or the magnate, Daigo plays a part in this as well. The pieces were starting to align.

Is this why Tahomaru had wanted to come to this village? He thought to himself.

"Then we better get started as soon as possible." Hyakkimaru declares as he gets on his feet. "It’s getting late so we may as well get started in the morning, I suppose." He says as he makes his way to the door.

Hyakkimaru pauses for a moment. He senses something from the other side of the door. The faint beating of footsteps travels away from where he stands then nothing. Was someone listening to their conversation? Hyakkimaru opens the door and the hall is empty. He sees nothing until he looks down to see a small plate of rice crackers and a spinning top. As soon as he reaches for the small gifts he notices the top is old and its paint was slightly faded from overuse. The only part that seemed new was the string that was once coiled tightly around it.

"Tahomaru," Hyakkimaru says as he makes his way back. "Even if she does remember you, I’m pretty sure she remembers you just fine." He places the plate down on the floor as he presents the spinning-top to Tahomaru.

Tahomaru's face finally relaxes as he cups the toy with his fingers.

"I thought I lost this," He said with a resigned smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really just wanted to put Hyakkimaru, Tahomaru, and Dororo in a room together an see where it would go in this story.  
> Seems Dororo is the leading force for most of this chapter, which helps gets the energy going and flowing. Plus typing from Dororo's PoV is fun.  
> As for Tahomaru, his PoV was a bit more complex since he's sort of a mixed bag of emotions at the moment.  
> All in all, I got to add of bit of sibling bonding in this chapter as well! :)  
> -R0bita


	4. Cold Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young child is encountered by a tall figure in a dark room.  
> There is a terrible chill is in the air.

The room is small, cold, and the light of the doorway is eclipsed by a tall figure of a man. The looming shadow stands before the small kneeling boy. He towers over him like a statue, overshadowing the child. Tahomaru does not dare look at the man’s face, meeting his gaze would only result in declaring a challenge with no hope of succeeding.

The figure raises his voice to the boy, “You were sent here so that you wouldn’t be dragged into the conflicts that draw ever closer to your home - away from the danger! Instead, you nearly lose your life over pointless games.”

“We were only playing in the field,” the boy responds back.

“You were outside of the city limits! You were out in the open!”

“We never meant-”

“And that child,” the man breathes a heavy sigh. “What were you thinking? What kind of companionship could you possibly achieve with someone like that?!”

Tahomaru felt a push. Something rose from within his body, but he wouldn’t let it show. He shouldn’t.

“She is my friend,” he responded. He could feel his throat itch as his words left his mouth.

“She is a fool, a thing that is beneath you.” The figure smears back.

He wants to scream  _ no _ but he swallows his breath painfully. He keeps his head down.

“You are the son of a samurai lord, the heir to an entire domain. I will not tolerate you wasting your time with that hopeless child.”

_ She’s not hopeless _ , Tahomaru hums uncomfortably behind pressed lips as if trying to repress a mad animal. The sensation was nauseating. He still refuses to look up, his eyes stinging with heat.

The tall stern figure looks down at him. Tahomaru won’t look back. He won’t.

He can’t read the man’s thoughts, but if he could, they would tear him apart. The child’s body became brittle and shivered. Air had become stagnant and the silence was chilling.

“Someone must take responsibility for this,” the figure announces, his voice expelled with vexation.

_ No. _ A horrible premonition came to the boy. Someone must take responsibility, meaning someone will be made an example of. Someone will be punished. He feels a quake and drops to the floor.

Tahomaru’s palms slam against the floor. The impact so hard that his arms shake as his hands become numb. His forehead presses firmly against the cold floor.

“I never meant to put anybody in danger! It was my fault that we left the town!” Tahomaru shouts with all the power he has in his lungs.

“I wanted to play far away from the village! I wanted to show Oyone how to play! She was only following me!” he pleads desperately, “She doesn’t deserve punishment! I was the one being foolish!” he desperately pleads.

There was a moment of silence. Tahomaru’s sight was completely overwhelmed by the dizzying patterns of woodgrain. He dare not raise his head yet.

“Then you must break ties with that girl, and forget this place,” the figure declares, his voice is cold and dry.

Tahomaru held his breath. His heart felt as though it had sunk.

“That is how you shall take responsibility for your actions,” he states before he turns to the door behind him. “Now, get off the floor.”

As the man disappears, Tahomaru releases a gasp. As he heaves, he could not tell whether he had sweat or tears on his face. Like a fever, he could not take a single breath without choking. Never had he ever felt so ragged and beaten in his entire life.

This was punishment - this was  _ their _ punishment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, in particular, was something I had planned not long after the second chapter. I really got in the mood of describing what repressing emotions felt like before they spurt out.  
> Although, I wouldn't call what's happening in this chapter "cathartic", in a sense.  
> -R0bita


	5. Push and Pull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dororo can't help but think that Tahomaru hasn't been his usual crabby self since they came to this town.  
> Also, what is that he's got in his hand?

Tahomaru jolts with a gasp. He feels a rush course through his head as he wakes in a cold sweat. The room was no longer dark. It was morning.

Dororo jumps as he sees Tahomaru awaken. He wasn’t expecting to see him wake up like that.

“Jeez! Don’t scare me like that!” Dororo sighs in both relief and exasperation.

Tahomaru looks around the room until his sight halts at the door. No one is standing there. There was a moment of relief until he noticed something was missing from the room.

“Hyakkimaru isn’t here?” Tahomaru asked as he pressed his hand against his forehead.

“Nah!” Dororo replied with a tsk, sounding annoyed. “I was barely awake before he strolled out the door.”

“Oh, right,” Tahomaru replied. He had nearly forgotten this was a habit of his elder brother. Haykkimaru was never much for waiting for others to keep up. Dororo barely tolerated this as much as Tahomaru did, being left behind. Then again, impatience seemed to be a trait all three of them shared.

“Well, he’s missing out on breakfast so it’s his loss. And more for us!” Dororo declared with a smirk. Then the realization hit his face, “Although, I guess that’s not saying much, huh?” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

Tahomaru, barely up from the floor, couldn’t tell if he should laugh or groan at the fact.“Well,” He replied with a grunt, “it can’t be helped.” He lifts himself with a stretch.

“We’ll just have to catch up with him later,” Tahomaru added with a sigh. 

“As usual,” Dororo mumbled with a pout.

“Excuse me,” a voice comes from the entrance. A plump-faced woman humbly greets the two from the doorway. “I have brought your meals, as requested by the master of the house. The young lady also requested that I bring tea for you” the woman stated.

“Oh! Thank you.”

* * *

Dororo takes a peek at Tahomaru’s face from where he ate. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Dororo asked.

“I just didn’t sleep well, that’s all,” Tahomaru said as he ate slowly. His eye glanced at the door as he said this.

“Maybe you’re not used to eating so little. Hm?” Dororo said. He almost wanted to tease him with that theory but remembered where they were and decided to save the humor for another time.

Tahomaru let out a quiet snort. “Maybe,” he said with little reluctance.

Dororo wasn’t sure what to make of it, but something was happening with Tahomaru. He wasn’t his usual crabby self at all anymore. Hyakkimaru had always been hard to read and even harder to get a reaction out of sometimes. It’d be mean to compare him to a tree or a rock if it didn’t feel so true most of the time. Tahomaru shares a lot in common with Hyakkimaru but as much as Dororo hated to admit he is easier to talk to, or at least mess around with. Tahomaru’s personality wasn’t so hard to get, for a samurai’s kid. Behind that cold and crabby hardshell was a big softy. He’s ridiculously honest to the point where lying looks painful for him and is a lot easier to budge than Hyakkimaru. No matter how hard his face becomes it was easy to tell if he was happy, sad, or glad. Sometimes you could even predict how he’ll feel based on the weather. If talking to Hyakkimaru was like moving wood or stone then talking to Tahomaru was more like pushing through water from a stream.

But everything had been different since they came here. Oyone, her father, the taxes, Daigo, and the demons. It’s all too much. It was as if the water had become muddy and mucky. The flow had stopped.

Dororo shook his head. The day hadn’t even started and he’s already thinking too much. He needed a distraction.

“So… how does it work?”

Dororo points at the spinning top beside Tahomaru’s lap.

“This?” Tahomaru replies awkwardly, just after swallowing his last bite. “Well I haven’t played with one of these in a while but...” Tahomaru wasn’t sure how to explain how the toy worked. He wasn’t much for explaining things.

“Just watch, okay?” he tells Dororo, hoping that his body remembered what to do next.

He draped and wound the string tightly around the top as he stood up. He took a few breaths, trying to relax as let his hands and body do the rest. He straightened his arm, pulled back, and released. As the top came down he pulled the string back and there it went. The top created a whirring sound as it had spun against the floor. It was only for a short minute until it finally toppled.

Tahomaru made an anxious puff through his nose. It wasn’t the most graceful throw nor the most exciting thing to show off. He felt he lost his touch. However, Dororo’s face said otherwise.

“Can you do it again?” Dororo asked with, a childish grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a cool down from the previous chapter. I was originally planning on combining this with the previous chapter since both are fairly short but then decided against it.
> 
> The spinning top is actually a teeny-tiny reference to some concept character art for the 1969 anime series. Even though most of this series is based on the original manga, there are some parts in other adaptations that I would like to reference, either here or in another series.  
> -R0bita


	6. Rising Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyakkimaru tries to make a headstart in the early autumn morning and has a brief encounter with the Donburi Magnate.

The sun finally breaks off of the horizon into the misty pale blue sky. The early morning chill slowly fades away as every surface becomes moist. The cool scent of wet grass and earth rises into the air.

Hyakkimaru observes his surroundings as he walks away from the magnate’s house. He rarely ever took the time to observe things as he had rarely ever had any breaks like these, either from the demons, bandits, or the ruckus caused by his brothers. He kept his arms folded within his sleeves as he continued toward the edge of town, the sensation from the cold air was still new to him. As he made it to the outskirts, he could see the rice paddy fields stretch across towards the dense tall wild grass and trees farther ahead. The sun’s light reflected from the water in the field and the morning dew that coated every leaf and blade of grass. It wasn’t an unpleasant or overwhelming feeling, as everything was quiet and peaceful for once. He’s not sure what to call the combination of sights, smells, and sounds that were happening around him. It wasn’t all new to him, but it wasn’t too familiar either. Perhaps refreshing? Yes. Refreshing would be a close enough word for this morning.

Hyakkimaru finds himself reaching a fork in the dirt path, surrounded by wetlands and grass with the farming settlements right behind him. Just then, a figure appears in Hyakkimaru’s line of sight. The stout and elderly magnate was hustling down the left fork.

“Oh dear!” the magnate exclaims as he approaches Hyakkimaru “You’re up quite early, young man,” The magnate wipes his brow nervously with a cloth.

“You seem rather busy at this hour as well,” Hyakkimaru responds with a low chuckle. “I thought only the farmers were up this early,” he added.

“Well,” the magnate replied, sounding embarrassed. “I am also the supervisor of this area. I’m responsible for overseeing the affairs of the town. The earlier I work, the more I can get done before the day is over, you see.”

“Does that include handling the rice taxes?” Hyakkimaru asked.

The magnate grumbled in response. “Yes,” he said with a low voice. “The samurai have been asking for more rations every year. It’s to be expected with the ongoing battles and all.” He continued to press the cloth against his brow as he made a heavy sigh.

“I see,” Hyakkimaru replied. He almost felt bad for bringing it up.

“I should get going now,” the magnate said as he hurried past Hyakkimaru.

“Ah! By the way,” The magnate paused for a moment. “How long will you and the young sir be staying?”

Hyakkimaru sensed tension with that question. “Not sure,” he replied.

The magnate hummed in response. “I’ve been told you three boys were on an important errand” the magnate added, “but considering the circumstances, it may be difficult for you all to stay here. It’s probably for the best.”

Hyakkimaru didn’t respond. Tahomaru did tell the magnate that the three of them were on an important journey, but didn’t explain the details. And the magnate wasn’t wrong about the _circumstances_. They couldn’t just stay. They shouldn’t. If Hyakkimaru doesn’t find the demon in time, Daigo could catch up to them before he’d get the chance. Then the situation could become worse than awkward. All that aside, the magnate was giving Hyakkimaru an uncomfortable feeling. It wasn’t hostile, but he could tell the energy from him was unwelcoming.

“And are you and the young sir...” he paused as he squinted towards Hyakkimaru’s face, inspecting it with his aging and tired eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to be related, would you?”

Somehow, for some reason, that question made Hyakkimaru feel nervous. It’s not like other strangers hadn’t asked this question before nor that his relationship with his blood brother was hard to admit, circumstances aside. But the magnate was different from other passersby and strangers. He and his family had a history with Tahomaru - with the Daigo clan. Hyakkimaru couldn’t trust him with a straight answer.

“Can’t say,” Hyakkimary answered bluntly.

The magnate huffed with his nose. “Ah, well!” he said nonchalantly, “It really is none of my business!” He gave off a jolly chuckle as he weakly threw both hands, dismissing the previous question.

Hyakkimaru didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed by that mood shift.

“Back to my own business!” The magnate continued to jog his way back to town up the road, most likely back home before everyone else woke up.

As soon as the magnate was out of sight, Hyakkimaru looked down the left path from where the magnate came from. The path led to the closest patch of woodland from where he could see. With no hesitation, he walked toward it.

* * *

“Damn it!”

Hyakkimaru felt his pride getting hurt as he could no longer continue his way through the brush of the woodland. That old man is more sly than he gave him credit. There was little evidence of any human activity as there were no tracts or even a marker of some sort. He had lost his patience.

The path that had brought Hyakkimaru to the woods had disappeared behind him and the land beyond the trees began to rise upward. Hyakkimaru could barely keep his footing along the steep hill. All he managed to find was an obscured view of the rice fields and the town further ahead, all settled within a valley. His breath became heavy as he could feel the sweat from his face and neck trail onto his back and chest. It must have taken him all morning to reach this spot. He must have missed something on the way here, but what?

What a loss, Hyakkimaru thought to himself.

He had to find some kind of clue or trace of demonic activity, and quickly. The magnate is his best bet, but doubtful he could get anything out of him by just asking questions. It definitely wouldn’t be smart to look suspicious around him considering his position in the town and his connections with Daigo. Asking the other townsfolk about the magnate’s secrets might not be a good idea either. Not to mention the girl.

The girl, he thought. The thought of her stuck with Hyakkimaru. If he could get some information out of her regarding her old man it would help move things along.

Hyakkimaru felt something creep up from within himself. Should he really be doing something like that? It’s bad enough that he’d probably be taking advantage of her kindness and sensitive nature, even worse knowing that she was Tahomaru’s old friend. Dororo had also taken a shining to her. He didn’t like the idea of approaching Oyone for answers, but what other options did he have?

Situations like these had never mattered much to Hyakkimaru before, but now he couldn’t get this terrible guilty feeling away from him. It was deep and sickening.

He shook his head.

Hyakkimaru peered through the foliage and onto the town. The area was slowly becoming active as more people began to appear outside their homes.

It must be close to noon now. 

Frustrated and empty-handed, Hyakkimaru felt he had no choice left but to head back. Dororo and Tahomaru will no doubt be impatient with him once he gets back.

As he descended, he felt the terrible pressure that was on him.

“Damn it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Hyakkimaru PoV chapter! I was a little nervous about how I was going to write Hyakkimaru since he's usually depicted as the type to keep to himself a lot in the original manga and anime, at least until he gets frustrated.  
> \- R0bita


	7. It's getting dusty in this house

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oyone is left alone with her thoughts as she is left to manage things by herself.

"You brought them here, that means that they are _your_ guests, Oyone. Make sure those boys don't start any trouble here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father."

"Good. Hopefully, they'll be gone before too long."

Oyone's father retreated to his quarters, leaving the young girl in the hall alone clutching a worn doll. Oyone wanted to whine and pout but couldn't bring herself to do so much more than sigh. Slowly, she made her way towards the storage room where she could be alone to herself. It wasn't as if she wasn't asked to be mindful of guests before or even babysit children on occasion, but being told to do so every time, as if she wasn't aware of the situation, had always made her feel heavy with embarrassment. Besides that, there was also worry over her father's age and wariness. Lately, she had seen the signs of his body failing him. In recent days, it seems to have gotten worse. In every early morning or late night, her father would return from an errand with a feverish look. There wasn’t a day that she didn’t feel compelled to do something for him. But along with his health, his patience also lessened. Answering back to him was difficult enough as is, she could no longer bring herself to do. Even so, Oyone dreaded it all.

As she sat by the stone stove, still warm from when breakfast was served, she mumbled as she pondered about the previous evening. That night, her father was especially furious about the guests she had brought to their home. "They’re children, not samurai," was the answer she gave when her father interrogated her about them. But he wouldn’t hear it, especially since one of them was the _son_ of a samurai. The one who wasn’t supposed to be here, Tahomaru.

Oyone’s legs tensed as the thought about him made her feel nervous. He was different from how she remembered him. He is different. Oyone remembered hearing rumors about the Daigo Clan. There were few good things ever said about the samurai lord and the stories about his child were the hardest to believe.

How can a young boy, barely a year younger than herself, be brought up to become a samurai? The thought of him fighting and killing other people was all too hard and terrible to picture. He used to be so small, smaller than her even.

The Tahomaru in her memories was a small boy who loved playing with dolls and spinners, was terrified by frogs and their baby tadpoles, and cried longer and louder than any other child, even herself. But the boy she remembered was from a long time ago in her head. He wasn’t here anymore and he told her he was never coming back.

But he did come back, didn’t he? And even more incredible was that he remembered her, and she was thankful for it. Relieved by it. So why did it also hurt?

Oyone had so many questions, ever since she met those boys in the field. But all her thoughts and worries melded together and made it hard for her hard to pick out the right thing to say. She had to talk to them, she wanted to talk to them. But every conversation she wanted to start was immediately canceled out by fear. And yet the pressure was still on her to do so. All these thoughts and emotions made her want to cry, but she couldn’t. She sunk her head into her lap, pressing her forehead onto her knees.

"Your name is Oyone, right?"

Oyone felt her back jolt as she stood up and turned to face the door. The boy named Hyakkimaru stood there.

"Sorry to startle you," Hyakkimaru said as he took a step back. "I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your home."

Oyone squeezed her doll tightly in her arms. She didn’t know Hyakkimaru long but had an eerie feeling from him, not like the other two. He was about the same age as her but had the look of someone much older and colder. His keen eye gave a look that was exactly like the samurai, and it frightened her.

"I dun know," Oyone replied, trying not to stutter or stumble her words.

Hyakkimaru figured she would be cautious around him. He had to be careful with his words.

"I never got to really introduce myself properly yesterday. I’m Hyakkimaru," Hyakkimaru said, trying to seem nice and feeling awkward about it. "The loud and grumpy little kid is Dororo and the other grumpy kid is Tahomaru. But you already knew him, right?"

Oyone made a pout in response. “Yeah,” she replied.

Hyakkimaru noticed the response. Is he annoying her, or did mentioning Tahomaru make her mad? Regardless, he had to keep the conversation going.

"Anyway," he continued, "I was hoping that you might show me around the town. I kinda got lost this morning and have to take care of some things before all three of us head off again."

Oyone hesitated to answer. She then remembered the words her father told her when he returned from his errand. She didn’t like the idea of escorting Hyakkimaru around town by herself, but also knew that if her father ever found out that she had stayed home while the suspicious young man was running about, she’d be the one in trouble for it.

Oyone pondered for a moment.

"And your friends?" She asked.

"Ah! Well," Hyakkimaru scratched the back of his neck, thinking on that question. "If I brought Dororo along he would just get bored and start trouble, and Tahomaru probably doesn’t want to go outside today." Hyakkimatu tried to sound as truthful as possible, and he wasn’t completely wrong either. Dororo and his thieving ways would normally start trouble and Tahomaru usually tried to keep a low profile ever since he was dragged along with them. Not to mention both of them seemed plenty preoccupied with their little game, when he last checked-up on them.

Hyakkimaru noticed Oyone pondering while she thumbed the doll in her hands and making a low humming sound. He held his breath, hoping for a quick answer.

Oyone sighed. "Okay," she said with a grumble, "but you have to promise to be good, okay?"

"I can agree to that." Hyakkimaru replied.

 _As if_. He hopelessly thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An Oyone PoV chapter! (Finally!)  
> I've really wanted to make a chapter solely from Oyone's perspective and I'm glad I finally got there.


	8. Sweet and Sour Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyakkimaru and Oyone travel downtown together. Hyakkimaru can't help but feel awkward about it.

Since the Donburi Magnate’s residence was a bit secluded from the rest of the town, Hyakkimaru had nearly forgotten that this place wasn’t like most areas he had passed by. The war barely touched this town, at least not physically. Besides the rice farmers who lived on the outskirts of town, there were also many merchants and craftsmen who made their rounds within the innermost parts. It was larger than the village that was once under Lord Sabame’s command and almost as large and populated as the main town that was under Daigo. The only big difference was the slow activity as most catering businesses were probably closed or understock on account of the rice shortage. Hyakkimaru wasn’t sure whether to consider these people lucky or not.

Oyone walked beside him with her hands gripping the ends of her sleeves and her arms folded tightly onto her chest. She barely spoke since they left the home, just her usual off-tune humming. Once in a while, she would take a glance at him but always brought her eyes back to the road.

Hyakkimaru felt all the more awkward as they continued. Although the pair looked as plain and ordinary as everyone else in town, Hyakkimaru couldn’t help but feel like every passerby’s eye was on them. As embarrassing as the situation was for him, Hyakkimaru had to get her to talk to him. But how? How do you make girls like you?

"So... is there anywhere you’d like to go first?" Hyakkimaru asked. "I’m not really sure what I should get with what I have on hand."

Oyone stopped to look around.

"Well, most of the eateries and vendors aren’t open long because of the rice tax, but there are some shops for clothes and other stuff you might need. Once harvest season is over, it’ll get really cold for travel."

"Huh. Good point," Hyakkimaru didn’t expect an answer like that. It’s true that winter was coming, but he had barely considered preparing for it.

"Alright then, the kimono shop it is," Hyakkimaru announced, trying to sound a little excited. "And maybe if we’re lucky we can get a snack before the vendors close up shop."

Oyone’s eyes lit up for a bit when Hyakkimaru said this, only to immediately look away when he noticed.

He could’ve sworn she was smiling.

* * *

Hyakkimaru figured he hadn’t had enough money. Not even for a scrap of parchment. But by some trick of fate, there was a vendor with a few small morsels and time left who was more than willing to take all the coins Hyakkimaru had left on hand. At the very least, Oyone seemed to have enjoyed the late afternoon window shopping and the small dango. Despite all the trouble it took to get her to trust him, just making her cheerful and comfortable for a short while felt like a better accomplishment than anything else today.

However, Tahomaru and his wallet will have to contribute for the next shopping trip, Hyakkimaru thought to himself. Financial decisions aren’t one of Hyakkimaru’s strong suits anyway.

The evening was approaching as the two of them walked down the road back to the magnate’s residence. As they walked, Hyakkimaru couldn’t help but admire Oyone for sticking around, considering how hard it was for her to even allow herself outside by herself. Not to mention with someone like Hyakkimaru to usher, no less. During their time in town, he couldn’t help but notice the subtle habits she made, similar to when they first arrived the day before. Her response to the touch of fabrics and distinct sounds seemed familiar to him. The way she reacted to the world was not that different from Dororo and Tahomaru and even Hyakkimaru himself. Oyone was a bit like him, in her own way.

Even so, he still wanted to ask his questions. But with how the day had gone he didn’t want to spoil everything that happened. He needed information to work with. At the very least, he should ask her something even if it didn’t have to do anything to do with her father. It had to be something worth knowing about. Hyakkimaru almost stumbles on himself as he turns his attention to Oyone.

"Say, Oyone," Hyakkimaru asks, "Were you _really_ friends with Tahomaru?"

"Um, yes," she gave a nervous reply, nibbling on the thin stick that once held her share of honeyed dango.

"What kind of person was he, when he was younger?" He asked, almost looking embarrassed. It had nothing to do with the magnate, but he did want to know more about Tahomaru’s history here. Plus, it could lead to _something_ interesting.

She hummed curiously as she pondered, looking off the road and towards the trees and grass. "He was really loud and got angry and cried a lot,"

"Oh," Hyakkimaru responded with a light snicker, not at all surprised by that answer. "A crybaby, huh?"

"But he was also really nice," she added.

"Oh?" Hyakkimaru wasn’t expecting that.

"At first, he didn’t want to talk to me, but then we started playing together all the time."

"Really?" Hyakkimaru couldn’t stop his face from breaking into a mischievous grin as he heard this. He couldn’t help but wonder what Tahomaru would do if he knew about this conversation.

“He was the only kid who wanted to stay as my friend. He was the only really nice person I knew.”

“The only one?” Hyakkimaru asked. “What about your folks?”

“Uh,” Oyone sighed looking down at the ground.

Hyakkimaru fiercely pressed his lips together. He realized that he may have crossed a line with that question.

They had stopped in front of the steps to her home. Oyone looked out to the steps, remaining silent for a moment. Before Hyakkimaru could say something, she spoke again.

"I don’t remember my mother at all. It’s only me and my father and his servants but..." She paused again to swallow her breath, unsure if she should be telling Hyakkimaru this.

"I wasn’t allowed to be angry whenever the other people bullied me," said Oyone. "My father would always apologize for me being a bother, even when I was the one being bothered or just for being in the same place as other people."

Hyakkimaru felt he knew where this was going.

"It was like me being here was wrong," she said.

Hyakkimaru felt a sting from Oyone’s words. He understood the pain and resentment of being out of place all too well. He didn’t like the magnate very much to begin with, but now he was starting to understand the resentment Tahomaru had expressed the other night. Does that man really care for his child?

"I'm sure that’s not true," said Hyakkimaru. "You seem like a nice person. Nicer than most people I know, at least." Hyakkimaru wasn’t sure if his words were of any help. He felt awkward, as he wasn’t the type who usually consoled others in their time of need.

Oyone gave a little sniff. "I’m not-"

 _Crap_ , Hyakkimaru thought.

"I’m not nice," Oyone said with a whimper. "Not at all. That’s why we can’t be friends. I can’t be his friend anymore."

"Anymore?" Hyakkimaru wasn’t sure where this was going.

"Whenever the kids or the grown-ups talked about me, Tahomaru would be the one to get angry. He said that it wasn’t fair and that I should be allowed to be angry," Oyone explained.

"He said that," Hyakkimaru made a faint smile at this. He felt a little proud and a little sad as well. He could’ve sworn that almost sounded like Dororo.

"And I do want to be angry, a lot. I am angry a lot. But I still want to be a good person too," Oyone wiped her eyes as she spoke. "And I’ve been a dumb jerk for dumb reasons."

"Why would you say something like that?" Hyakkimaru was confused but felt there was some significance to what she was saying as there was desperation in Oyone’s voice. Is she about to confess something to him?

But before Oyone could speak another word, she gasped. She jerked herself from where she was standing. Tightening her arms around her body with a fearful look. Someone was here.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Hyakkimaru felt a surge of annoyance in response to the voice that came from behind him. It was eerily familiar.

He turned to face the owner of that voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be honest, Hyakkimaru is the last person you would expect to take any girl out on an evening and not seem weird about it.  
> \-----  
> ~Bonus~  
> Dororo: Is it date???  
> Hyakkimaru: It's not.  
> Tahomaru: ...  
> Hyakkimaru: It's NOT!  
> \-----  
> ~Bonus 2~  
> Hyakkimaru: Do remember anything about Tahomaru when he was little?  
> Oyone: puffy cheeks.  
> Hyakkimaru, writing it down: I see...puffy cheeks...  
> \-----  
> \- R0bita


	9. Interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new character enters the scene, much to Hyakkimaru's annoyance and Oyone's dismay.

Strolling from behind Hyakkimaru was a tall young man, possibly a year or two older than Hyakkimaru himself. He had both arms over a long spear that he carried over his shoulders, making himself larger than he appeared. And hanging from his hip was a sword.

"Saburota," Hyakkimaru states with a glare.

What the hell is _he_ doing here? He thought.

"Long time no see, Hyakkimaru," Saburota called out, with a raise of a hand. "Didn’t know you’d be here of all places."

"Really? And what brings _you_ here?" Hyakkimaru got the feeling that Saburota’s sudden appearance in the scene was not just some random coincidence, but he hoped he was wrong.

"Well, last I checked, Kagemitsu Daigo has jurisdiction over this place," Saburota says, adjusting his arms on his spear, "and I heard that you and the old man got beef." He smiles mischievously at Hyakkimaru.

"Daigo!?" Hyakkimaru is taken aback by the mention of Daigo’s name. It seems Saburota had been filled in on Hyakkimaru’s connection to him. "You’ve already joined him?"

Hyakkimaru remembered Oyone was still behind him and quickly looked back at her. She was still tightly holding on to herself, keeping her distance from Saburota and inching further away from Hyakkimaru. She gave Hyakkimaru a worried look. Hyakkimaru wondered if she had heard what Saburota had mentioned earlier or if she was simply too scared to have listened in on the conversation. Either way, Oyone was visibly frightened by the new stranger’s appearance.

Saburota curiously peered at Oyone from behind Hyakkimaru. Hyakkimaru stepped in further to block the view. Saburota sighed with annoyance as he lowered the lance off his shoulders and with a tightened grip he planted it to the ground.

"Sorry to bump into you on your date, but I do have business here," Saburota stated, looking unimpressed by the situation. "I’ve been told to meet with the old man that runs this town."

"Why do you need to talk to the Magnate?" Hyakkimaru asked.

"No." Oyone gasped. “Not yet.”

"Not yet?" Saburota caught what Oyone was saying. Confused by her response, he directed his attention to her. “Hey girl, you a relative of his or something?” he asked her.

Oyone felt the alarm in her body shoot up as soon as Saburota addressed her. She brought her hands to her mouth, covering it as she had begun to make bizarre muffled humming sounds. As Hyakkimaru listened, he noticed something was off about her reaction. To his disbelief, she was laughing behind her muffled hands, but it wasn’t humorous laughter coming from her. He could sense the discomfort from her voice as she giggled through her hands. He looked at her and could see her face breaking out in a nervous sweat. Oyone didn’t find any of this funny at all, she was terrified.

"Hey! You listening?" Sabuota yelled out, impatiently. Not aware of Oyone’s reaction from behind Hyakkimaru.

"I dun like samurai!" Oyone hollered as she jolted away, with one hand covering her mouth and the other clawing into her side as she kept her arm around herself.

"What the hell?" Saburota replied, bewildered by the girl’s response. He began to walk forward.

"Saburota! Don’t!" Hyakkimaru took a step forward in an attempt to separate Saburota’s attention off Oyone. He dare not draw his blades at him with the girl there. 

"What are you-?!" Saburota quickly lifted his spear off the ground and got into a defensive stance. "As badly as I want a rematch with you, I ain’t got time to deal with you getting on my bad side today!" He then pointed the tip of the spear towards Hyakkimaru.

"Don’t do anything stupid!" Hyakkimaru stated as he slowly raised the sheath in his arm. He knew Saburota can be careless, he didn’t count on him to be civil for a bystander.

Oyone sensed the aggression rising. Amidst her panic and fearing the worst-case scenario she sprinted towards Hyakkimaru’s side.

"Ah! No no no! Stop!" She screamed with a panting stutter. She was on the verge of tears.

"Seriously!? What is your problem, Lady!?" Saburota hollered with annoyance, baffled at the girl’s behavior.

Just then, a shrill voice called from the direction of the steps of the magnate’s residence.

"You heard what she said!"

Dororo and Tahomaru were racing down the steps. As soon as those two had leaped onto the road, they both quickly took their stances beside Hyakkimaru and Oyone.

"Don’t even think about picking a fight with Bro! Not while we’re here!" Dororo shouts, looking ready to claw at Saburota.

"In case you haven’t noticed, you’re making the young lady of this house very upset," said Tahomaru, his voice was harsh and defiant. "If I were you, I’d not start any trouble around her. Otherwise..."

Tahomaru’s eye remained sharp on Saburota. Saburota simply glared back at Tahomaru. Both boys were armed with spite in their eyes. Tahomaru remembered Saburota well enough to know that he wasn’t the type of person to ease up around. Saburota remembered Tahomaru as well, and he knew _exactly_ who he was.

There was silence.

Saburota made an exasperated groan, lowering the spear in frustration.

"Listen," he started with a grunt, "If the magnate is busy or something I’m gonna have to stay here till he’s ready to see me. And I _really_ don’t wanna go back to camp empty-handed after coming all this way here."

Tahomaru looked to Hyakkimaru. Without a word, Hyakkimaru simply nodded back.

"If you have business here take it with us," Tahomaru stated as he folded his arms into his sleeves. "So what do you want from here?"

"Simple. I want Information." Saburota started. "Well, more like an explanation. Really. Seems the magnate’s been neglecting to hand over the rice for the taxes," Sabuorta gives off a smirk and a shrug.

"What?!" Dororo expresses disbelief.

"And your old man is mighty pissed." Saburaota directs his attention to Tahomaru. "Unless the magnate answers to us or hands in the rice-tax in full, Daigo is gonna start picking people off."

"But everybody else here is already running out of food and they’re terrified of the samurai!" Exclaimed Dororo, completely outraged. Hyakkimaru puts a hand on him to hold him back.

Saburota merely shrugs back. "Wouldn’t have been a problem if the magnate just did his job, then."

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru say nothing but both show looks of concern at Saburota's words. Oyone, still humming and panting, looks down with a pained look on her face. Dororo just glares back at Saburota but looks as though he’s about to cry. Noticing the dreary silence, again, Saburota takes a step forward.

Planting his spear to the ground once again, Saburota raises his hand to gesture attention to himself. "Look now, since I guess I owe you punks a favor for-" he pauses, with a squint and a cough, as if an embarrassing memory had come to mind. "For what happened earlier," he continues, "I’m considering not killing _you_ ," he says as he points to Hyakkimaru, "and dragging _your ass_ back home!" He then directs his finger to Tahomaru.

"So! If you would allow me into your home and help make my job easier, I’ll go the extra mile and not tell Daigo that you guys have been hanging around here, alright?" Saburota declared. This was his bargain.

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru both exchanged looks before turning to Oyone. They both understood that at this moment she needed to be the one to allow Saburota’s proposal. To allow him into her home.

"Is this alright with you, Oyone?" Tahomaru asked, quietly.

Oyone kept her hands to her chest as she took her breaths. Her face was moist with sweat and tears. She closed her eyes and waited for a chance to speak.

"It’s fine," she said quietly with a rasp and a nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems things are getting a little serious now.  
> I've been waiting to add Saburota to this story. Although, he's not exactly on good terms with everyone.  
> His declaration in the near end what sort of a little nod to a certain scene from Blood Will Tell(Game).
> 
> I can't help but imagine Saburota's dialogue as stereotypically... cowboy-ish.


	10. Vapors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Saburota's sudden arrival at the Magnate's home, Dororo couldn't help but notice the rise in tension between everyone and overhears a conversation between Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru. Sleep doesn't feel possible at the moment.

It wasn’t an easy night to sleep through. Impossible, really.

Dororo just laid on his side, with his back to Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru. He was so frustrated that he couldn’t even listen in on what they were whispering about. He only knew that, based on the sound of their voices, Tahomaru was really upset and Hyakkimaru was trying his best to stay calm but was clearly just as mad. Dororo was mad too.

Dororo didn’t hate Saburota, but the more Dororo thought about that encounter the more the thought of him made him angry and anxious. Who knows what could’ve happened if Tahomaru and he hadn’t shown up? And what about Oyone?

Oh. Poor Oyone. She looked so drained after finally coming into the house like she was gonna faint. The servant lady had to help her get to her room.

Stupid big brow, horse face, third-rate-rota! Why’d he have to come here and make her cry like that? Dororo couldn’t help but growl in unison with his thoughts.

Ah! Wait. Did they notice him?

Dororo kept his breathing quiet for a moment, hoping his mumbling thoughts aloud didn’t attract the other two’s attention.

The whispers continued.

"I still can’t believe he’s in this house right now!"

"Like I said, there’s not much to be done about him, especially now that the old man is involved."

"But now he’s working for Daigo. Doesn’t he know what he’s getting himself into!"

"He really pisses you off that much, huh?"

"I-" Tahomaru stammered for a moment before he said, "I don't really hate him, but…"

You don’t? Dororo thought. Last time you saw him you were gritting your teeth like a dog and growling like a cat.

"I just saw so much of myself in him back there. Even now I still see it. It just feels all so... wrong."

Hyakkimaru didn’t answer.

Dororo didn’t know what to think of what Tahomaru had said, but the sound of his voice made him incredibly sad.

"I thought that after everything that happened, after what happened at the Banmon, when you stopped me then, I thought it would all be fine."

Dororo could hear Tahomaru’s breathing turn tired and heavy. He really shouldn’t turn around now.

"After coming back here, I can’t help but think I haven’t changed for the better at all. All I did was run away. I couldn’t even talk to my friend. I couldn't even help her!" Short gasps of breath prevented him from continuing.

Don’t say stuff like that, Tahomaru. Dororo thought as he shut his eyes. Don’t say stuff that’ll make me cry.

"I still feel hopeless. How am I- What am I supposed to…"

"Hey," Hyakkimaru finally interjects, much to Dororo’s relief. "It takes a long time for people to grow up, especially for the better."

Nice job, Bro.

"Compared to me, I think you've made a lot of progress."

Dororo wasn’t sure why, but he was pretty sure Hyakkiamru was smiling when he said that. At that moment, Dororo finally felt at ease. All the fuss from before felt like it was disappearing.

"Hey, I thought samurai weren't supposed to cry."

"Shut up."

"Haha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another trio moment. This time with a bit more interaction between Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru, but in Dororo's PoV. Another cool down from the previous chapter.  
> \- R0bita

**Author's Note:**

> My first submission to Ao3. I hope this first chapter has been good for everyone who took an interest in reading through it.  
> This fanfic started off based on a headcanon I had made a while back for the original Dororo manga series. Originally, I didn't intend on starting a series but ended up with more and more chapters as I had continued writing. I'd like to see how far I can go and I hope the readers enjoy it.
> 
> On an additional note, I'd like to thank some of my mutuals from Discord, with who I have been exchanging many ideas and stories before coming here.  
> -R0bita


End file.
